


Night Time Ritual

by Katalyna_Rose



Series: Kahlia Mahariel [18]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Fluff, PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 11:24:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9179398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katalyna_Rose/pseuds/Katalyna_Rose
Summary: Change happens slowly. Reacquainting Kahlia's body with touch is a change that will happen very slowly. But she wants it, and she has to start somewhere.





	

Zevran watched Kahlia circle the room a fourth time. Twice more and she’d come to bed. He’d already watched her triple check that all of the doors and windows were securely locked, except for the one across the room that was open to the hot night’s breeze. That one had a wire across it that would cause a bell to ring if anything stronger than the wind were to disturb it.

Kahlia tugged the wire experimentally, and the bell chimed just as it was supposed to. Then she crossed to the bed where he was watching her, lounged back against their pillows with his hands behind his head. She called it done and slid under the covers beside him.

“Don’t feel bad for needing to check, my dear,” Zevran told her. She turned towards him, startled. “I would never want you to feel unsafe.”

“But I know it’s… a bit much, what I do,” she said hesitantly.

“No,” Zevran countered. “After everything, I don’t think it is.”

She looked at him, searching his gaze, and he let her see how much he meant that. Then she leaned forward and kissed him. Gently, he threaded his fingers into her hair, loving the way the flame red strands curled around his fingers. She hated how unruly her hair was, but he loved it. He always thought it felt like her hair wanted to hold him as much as he wanted to hold it. She kept it carefully confined during the day, winding it into a bun on the back of her head, but at night it flowed free for him. Well, mostly because sleeping with that hairstyle would be uncomfortable, but still.

“Get some sleep, my love,” Zevran whispered against her mouth when the desire to feel her naked skin against his started growing too strong. He pulled back and carefully extracted his hand from her hair, but she caught him. Her eyes, the color of molten gold and three times hotter, bored into his. She shook her head slowly.

“I don’t want to sleep,” she said softly. “I want to feel you.” And his damnable cock jumped in his loose pants, the traitor. She wasn’t ready.

“You don’t need to-” he began.

“I want to,” she said. “I just want to try. I want to see if I can. I don’t want to live here with you and never have sex again. But I don’t flinch at your touch. I want you to touch me. And I want to start trying.” She looked away briefly. “I know it probably won’t happen tonight, but I need to try. Will you touch me?”

“Anything,” he whispered brokenly. “Anything for you, amor.” Her features relaxed, tension draining away to be replaced with hopefully curiosity.

She expected him to roll onto her, but he knew better. She would have to stop before she began if she felt his weight above her. So instead he tugged her gently until she was straddling his legs and rested his hands on her hips.

And so they began a new night time ritual. Once the doors were locked and triple checked, and she’d made her six circles of the room to make certain it was secured, she’d climb onto him and reacquaint herself with sexual touches. He was very careful with her, and when she couldn’t handle it anymore he knew it before she did. And then she’d fall asleep in his arms. It wasn’t long before she could tremble with something besides fear at the thought of his touch. She was so strong, his Kahlia, and he loved everything she was.


End file.
